Culturally Responsive Education in a Small Community School in New York City

• In Event: Teaching and Learning in Community Schools

Abstract

This case study, based on school and community observations and interviews, demonstrates how one community school in the South Bronx builds students’ critical thinking and research skills, using interdisciplinary lessons planned by teams of teachers along with community service and internships that are part of the weekly schedule. In this school, rather than focus on standardized tests, students create a portfolio of exemplary work, answering essential questions they’ve focused on throughout the year that they present to a committee of adults from the school. The educator featured in this paper is a former student at the school and now teaches a humanities classes at the school, embodying the vision of community schools as grounding instruction and practice in the knowledge of the community. He chose to come back to teach at his former school because students, as he shares, “connect to people of color because they've been through the same thing they've been through.” Being at a community school is important for Yancy because he has time and resources to build relationships with students through the advisory process, can get added supports through the community partners, and use restorative justice to address issues that may arise.

Walking into his classroom, one can quickly feel the energy circulating as students debate different ways that power operated during the Haitian Revolution. They connect the history lesson to their lived experiences and understandings of how colonialism has functioned throughout the Caribbean. His rapport with the students is familiar and kind, enabling him to push them on hard topics. The conversations about colonialism and slavery within the Caribbean are complicated and nuanced, as students discuss the role of money and ideas in both reinforcing and dismantling oppressive systems. As the students read other texts, he encourages them to look for context clues to discuss how the narrator’s gender, race, and class might influence his relationships, prompting rich discussions of power and identity. Beyond the classroom, students are supported to engage in community affairs in a number of ways including service opportunities, internships, and ways to work for social justice. For example, students started a Black Lives Matter group to help address issues of police brutality, meeting during lunchtime and organizing students to attend local rallies.

Learning researchers have shown the power of protective factors such as affirmation, removal of stereotype threat, and culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy to build pride and interest in learning among marginalized students (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Lee, 2008; Gay, 2010; Paris, 2012). Similarly, service learning opportunities can support students’ attitudes toward themselves as well as towards school and learning, and can promote civic engagement, social skills, and academic performance (Celio, Durlak, & Dymnicki, 2011).This case study adds to this literature by demonstrating how community schools that can build trusting relationships between schools and communities set the stage for attending to and enacting these kinds of learning opportunities. As Yancy shares, “culturally relevant work is important and allows students to connect what they’re learning, to their lives.”

Author

• Julia A Daniel, University of Colorado - Boulder